The Community Education and Training system has the potential to fill an important gap in training provision in South Africa, especially for low-skilled job seekers and workers. Various actors, both private and public, already provide training opportunities, but provision is scattered and many adults in need of up-skilling or re-skilling do not participate in training. Increasing access to training can help tackling existing skills imbalances and contribute to lower unemployment, poverty and inequality.
Currently, Community Education and Training institutions mainly provide second chance primary and secondary education. However, to make the system more useful and accessible for adults, a wider range of programmes and services should be provided, in line with local needs. While second chance education should remain an important component of Community Education and Training, the offer should be extended to vocational and non-formal education and training programmes, as well as information and guidance services. At the same time, existing and new programmes need to be adapted to the specific needs of adult learners.
In order to provide a wider range of programmes and services, and to reach the objective of one million students in Community Education and Training by 2030, substantial investments is needed. Only a very small part of the public budget is currently allocated to the Community Education and Training system, and substantial increases are unlikely in the present economic climate and in view of the significant resources needed to support fee-free access to higher education for lower-income students. To secure sufficient funding for the further development of the Community Education and Training system, alternative sources need to be mobilised. The National Skills Fund should re-focus on training opportunities for vulnerable groups, and SETAs should spend the skills development levy funds more effectively. Stronger coordination with other stakeholders funding training, including provincial and municipal governments and the Unemployment Insurance Fund, are key in reaching the common goal of higher access to training.
For Community Education and Training to have a real impact, it should be responsive to the needs of the community. Institutions need to have sufficient flexibility to adapt the training offer and content to these needs. Strong coordination with local stakeholders is crucial to identify community needs, but also to develop partnerships with employers and other education and training providers. Staff in Community Education and Training institutions need to have easy access to existing information on community needs and need to develop the knowledge and skills to actively engage with stakeholders.
Finally, the potential impact of an expanded Community Education and Training system crucially depends on the quality of programmes and services provided. Quality assurance in the current system is very scattered because of the variety of programmes offered, and a more transparent system should be put in place to ensure that all training programmes comply with a minimum standard. At the same time, further investment in the skills of teachers, school leaders and support staff need to be made to ensure that they can carry out their tasks effectively.